ACT 3 Theatrics - the journey and reflections

Thursday, May 2, 2013

We would like to say a big Thank You to you, for the Writing my First Storybook workshop you conducted at Canvass Art Studio 2 months ago.

Ariel enjoyed the workshop tremendously and was elated to see her story being published into a book. It was certainly a surprise for her :)

Ariel plotting her story.

As parents, we'll like to thank you for conducting workshops as these, and your passion in teaching children is just so evident to us. We could tell that she learnt a lot from the workshop as well, as she could now use appropriate terms like protagonist, antagonist, whenever she read a book these days.
We look forward to more workshops conducted by you, whether it is with Canvass or ACT 3 Theatrics.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

When
speaking with a young child we have this urge to “baby talk”, substitute words
or even fracture grammar just to simplify matters.

My advice is
to resist the urge.

It is always
good to speak in proper sentences and use the correct words. Children have the
innate ability to learn and absorb all that we share with them.

I became
aware of this many years ago while travelling along Orchard Road in the
presence of my three year old nephew. It was the Christmas season with the
streets and fronts of buildings brightly decorated.

I happened
to remark, “Centrepoint has a beautiful façade.”

A few days
later, while navigating another stretch of road, the same nephew – all three
years of him – spontaneously blurted out while pointing excitedly, “Look! That
building has a beautiful façade.”

Friday, April 19, 2013

A Child’s Mind

A child’s
mind is a fertile ground and a very active place. It is alive and on fire with
thoughts, imaginations, arguments, fantasies, fears.....

The
challenge is in helping children find positive outlets to this myriad mixture
without extinguishing the fire. As adults we can be the catalyst to inspire
them in their hands-on quest to learn, explore, experiment and create.

What
children enjoy most is the act of doing things. They blossom to their full
potential when they are surrounded by a sense of joy, wonder, spontaneity and
freedom. When they are given trust and encouragement!

Let us be
mindful in providing children with an environment where their thoughts are
respected and their voices heard loud and clear.

R
Chandran is founder-director of ACT
3 Theatrics, established in July 1984, as a children-driven professional
theatre company.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

This is Ameer Jumabhoy today. A student in the USA. An
international Polo player. An Ambassador for the Texas Children’s Cancer
Centre.

This is Ameer, the child-actor, in ACT 3 Theatrics’
‘Fantastic Mr Fox’. He’s the one in the middle row on the extreme left.

The young man’s first stage adventure pre-dates this. He was
six years old then and I had the privilege of being Banquo to his Fleance in
our production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Playing dual roles I spent a good ten
minutes as Hecate, queen of witches, carrying him on my back before he revealed
himself as the third child apparition.

This is how Ameer reflects on his experience. “I’ll never forget the first lines I spoke on
stage as an actor. ‘Macbeth will never
vanquished be, until great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come
against him.’ I was six years old and that is what ACT 3 Theatrics gives
you – the confidence to step out on stage in front of 400 people at a time and
live without fear. That confidence, the creativity and desire to bring joy into
the lives of others is something that has stayed with me till today.”

Yes today, Ameer is a member of the ACT 3 Theatrics creative
and management team entrusted with the mission to equip children with the joy
and confidence to step not just onto the theatre stage but the world stage.

Monday, January 28, 2013

ACT 3 Theatrics - Time and Space to Dream & Play

As a child, I used to spend close to an hour in the shower. I was not just having a bath. I was staging a football match with a wooden clothes peg standing in for the real ball. The interesting thing was my team didn't always win, even in my fantasy.

I think I had it great as a child. I had the space, time and freedom to run a parallel life. In it, I was the son of the richest man in the whole wide world. We even had a zoo with a complete collection of animals in our imaginary sprawling bungalow.

I was Zorro, correcting the world's injustices, with my very own cave hideout. I was a world champion motor racer, competing in my inverted half-wooden half-metallic chair that went faster than any F1 car today. (I even created my own advertisement blurbs and pasted them on the fantasy car.) I was an explorer. A scientist. And of course I was the planet's finest footballer. The fact that I didn't always win made my parallel life all the more exciting and layered.

Setting up ACT 3 with Ruby and Jasmin allowed me to give shape and form to my wide-ranging visions. I wrote plays, directed actors to bring the stories alive, had props, sets and costumes created, music included - and was fortunate enough to share them with generations of children and their families.

Today 's ACT 3 Theatrics is designed to 'pay it forward'. It is a space that gives children the time and freedom to use as their backyard, playground, nature trail, workshop, laboratory. So they too can dream and play with abandonment.

Friday, January 25, 2013

ACT 3 Theatrics - always evolving.

The most refreshing aspect of life and all things around us is that they keep evolving.

In 30 years, ACT 3 Theatrics has evolved much, some naturally some by design.

This is me in the 1980s...

This is me, evolved, in 2013.

When the company was established, our focus was children. Stepping into the fourth decade as Singapore's first professional theatre company our focus continues to be children. The means and ways we use to reach out, connect, engage and involve them is evolving.

Where once professionals were the creators and enactors, today we want to be the catalyst to inspire children in their hands-on quest to learn, explore, experiment, create, articulate and present their thoughts, dreams, writings and performances.

What children enjoy most and get the best thrill is in the act of doing things. They blossom to their true potential when surrounded by a sense of joy, wonder, spontaneity and freedom.

Having spent the past year in hibernation and some thought, we are ready to launch the new phase with a team brimming with enthusiasm and ideas. The next generation - Sharief Bobo, Amy J Cheng, Anna Belle Francis, Ameer Jumabhoy, Mehreen Mir Abid, Anis Razali.....